The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-06-24

Now, evidently, this is my chance. A
very rich fellow has always been my
castle in the air. has It not? And there
is the very man, rich, they say. and not
60 old. either"
And Mamie stood looking down upon
Miss Selma with hundr little imps
OF mischief dancing in her eyes.
"If you thought you could Ike
hia. dear" began Miss Selma un-
certainly.
In the silence Of her little room that
night, Miss Selma prayed for the haPpi-
ness Of Mamie, and one other, If this
thing was T. be.
II any personal lremembrances selfi~hlv
obtruced themselves, and q tear fell,
dropping down on the well-worn cover
OF her Bible. blame her not. Miss
Selma, with gentle resolution, put the
memories by.
There had been many things she had
not understood these many years back.
The blow had fallen long ago. when the
fair haired, gentle girl, waiting for her
bold young lover, had been told sud
denly that he had left the town. There
had been no sign or word OF explana-
ton.
Selma Prime might conjecture that il
was her fathers purse-proud treatment
of the pennless suitor that had stunc
the young man into this abrupt depart
ure; but her friends and acquaintances
held another theory.
Young Dilber had always been a
'protty lively" fellow. Il wasn't to be
expected that little shy Selma Prime
was going 70 keep him. Did she think
he would ever come back7 Well, she
was mistaken. then. He had cut loose
and he WAS gong 10 "stay" cut loose.
II little Miss Primes burden had
grown heavier, IN her own despite,
Mamie formed a glowing contrast To
her Never had the girl seemed bright
er or prettier. There was as though II
suppressed current Of something mys-
teri usly joyous were running through
all h-r moods.
Every now and then she would make
little Fiunges at Miss Selma, and huc
and kiss her with mischievous eifueioE
and Z warmth and insiStence which
would cause the aunt. sOitly chiding,
and yet pink with pleaz ure, to murmur,
Ny dear, my dcari"
You dearest, Elrllshest OF maiden
aunts :! cried Nannjo on one such occa-
sion. How DO you cOuirivc to blush
so Qrettlly at every little thing? /
really makes you quite too charming for
su.h very aged person; 90 you know
that' I 90 Id not blush that way If l
tried. s-og!d certainly come into my
everlasting fortune AZ once, If could" "
You may come into II without, said
Miss Selma gently.
At this Miss Mamie only laughed.
But indee Z, with bushes or without. she
and Mr. Dilbcr seemed to b. growing
the best o. friends. They were mUcn
together, and hal long conversations,
the purport Of which the girl never dis
closed to Miss Selma. But the latter
could only find this natural When
she is ready to tell me, she Will speak"
thought she TO herself.
Weeks passed by, and the time was
fast coming for a festival ct Uslithe
Church. Mamie said:
Tonight We decorate the church.
Aunt Selma. Don't forget that. And
you're to stay little after the others
go, for Mr.. Dilber wants TO speak TO
you"
Miss Selma had no doubt as TO why
Mr. Dilbcr wished to speak to her. he
and Mamie had C me TO an understand
ing. and now he was 70 ask her consent
to their marri ge.
When Miss Selma entered the little
church again with her lovely niece on
this night OF festive preparation. her
eyes shone with so beautiful and soft a
light that Mamie, turning upon her sud
denly. exclaimed:
Aunt SELMA You may scoid me In
holy horror II you choose, but you are
at this moment Just like the angels In
heaven. or q transfigured saint %
Certainly it was n calm and gently dig
nified little maiden lady, and one who
concealed her inward tremorS w"ll, who
waite behind while the others left the
little church, one by one, aNd quietly
stood AS Mr.. DilbeI came towards her.
Selma he said 81 think you
know why wanted TO speak to YOU"
YES" and the gentle face was In
truth transfiGured now in its sacrifice.
You love Mamie. and you want her for
your wife,
mo. no; not Nanniel You-you-"
After a pause he went on:
Its been n long time and a hard bat
tie. and a lies separation, Selma Per-
haps you blamed me, and you had a
right. But l was goaded by despair
and a cutting humiliation Il my poverty
into going. i swore to myself that /
would not come back till it might be
not empty handed. And 50 the years
passed The noon of our day is over
and gone, Selma. But the evening of it
may be ours still to spend together"
but have grown so old, faltered
Miss Selma.
bel 1t is l, Selma, who have grown old
old and hardened-weary OF the battle
OF life"
And 80 IL came about that little Miss
Prime issued forth into the night, above
which ths stars palPitated like living
things, this time MT alone. And when
the two reached the house there was
Mamie, rHdian, in the ruddy light of
the open door. TO receive them.
But then, indeed, it was as though
Miss Selma would sink into the ground.
"Oh, Mamie - was all she could ar
ticulate. The horror of her selfish Joy
at the price of the disappointment OF
this child of hers smote her white-lipped
and dumb
But, with q bound and a ringing laugh,
Mamie was upon her, with her arms
about her neck.
"Oh. you dearest, dear goosel Are
you going to faint because you think /
want TO marry SIr. Dilber? Why, !
knew how it was from the first, and
we've been in league all along. Didn't
1 manage nicely, Uncle Dilber7"